The Antlers — Burst Apart

A baby-makin’ record about not baby-makin’.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
“Burst Apart” by The Antlers is a baby-makin’ record about not baby-makin’.

 

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Two Suns — Two Suns EP

Artsy electronic pop with a unique idiom

Electronica
Stephen Carradini
Although Two Suns’ beats, synth and guitar compositions are heavily electronic, it still feels as if electronics are just the foundation for the melodies.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Paleo — Fruit of the Spirit

Outsider folk with gems to unearth

Folk
Stephen Carradini
Paleo’s acoustic guitar songs on “Fruit of the Spirit” call to mind a lot of different artists, for good or for ill.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Saturday Sirens — Saturday Sirens

Rock debut is a highlight of local music so far this year

Indie
Stephen Carradini
Seth Anderson has the sort of confident snarl that turns heads and perks up ears.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Point Blank Band — Sad Songs and Whiskey

Hot country with excellent songwriting

Country
Stephen Carradini
The Point Blank Band is a tight unit, as each member contributes to its hot country sound. The title track and opener features great bass and guitar work, a neat fiddle part, and Mike Novotny’s welcoming vocals, which deliver memorable, ear-catching melodies.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Isis — Live I-V

Metal that is also the world’s loudest post-rock

Rock
Stephen Carradini
I hate showing up late to the party, but it happens sometimes. I’d never been properly introduced to the metal of Isis until I found a posthumously released collection of live recordings in my ears.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Suzanna Choffel — Steady Eye Shaky Bow

Sultry singer/songwriter tunes with some high highs

Pop
Stephen Carradini
Singer/songwriter Suzanna Choffel sounds best when she’s feeling sinister.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Barry Manilow — 15 Minutes

A comprehensive overview of the 'Copacabana' hitmaker's latest

Pop
Stephen Carradini
A track-by-track exploration of Barry Manilow’s new album, “15 Minutes,” which drops Tuesday.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Queen — Queen / Queen II / Sheer Heart Attack / A Night at the Opera / A Day at the Races

A remarkable first wave of reissues

Rock
Rob Collins
Most reissues are a shameless cash-in, offering little new material or perspective for die-hard fans.

 

Monday, June 6, 2011

Manchester Orchestra — Simple Math

Passionate, excellent indie-rock tunes

Indie
Stephen Carradini
It’s pretty weird that there hasn’t been any monolithic indie-rock disc to polarize the blog masses so far this year, as we had Beach House to love or hate before January was up in 2010.

 

Friday, June 3, 2011

Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Kyle — We Still Love Our Country

Gorgeous country duets and ballads abound

Country
Stephen Carradini
Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Kyle’s “We Still Love Our Country” follows a very simple formula: Beautiful female vocals + easygoing male vocals + country standards + gentle acoustic-based accompaniment = an album of duets that’s an absolute gem, because they found an excellent plan and stuck with it for a wonderful half-hour.

 

Friday, June 3, 2011

The Workweek — Promises, Promises

Country
Stephen Carradini
Oklahoma City’s The Workweek follows The Jayhawks and Wilco in making the lines between folk, country and rock negligible on its debut release, “Promises, Promises.”

 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Dr. Pants — The Trip Side 1: Illusion & Truth

Tight pop songwriting with a sense of humor

Pop
Stephen Carradini
The cumbersomely named “The Trip Side 1: Illusion & Truth” by Dr. Pants suffers no such songwriting problems in its six tracks.

 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Death Cab for Cutie — Codes and Keys

Indie-poppers' best album since the early 2000s

Indie
Stephen Carradini
To its benefit and ill, Death Cab for Cutie has never made the same album twice.

 

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Red City Radio — The Dangers of Standing Still

No letup of enthusiasm, speed in this debut

Rock
Stephen Carradini
There’s something to be said for sticking to your guns, and Red City Radio is saying it.

 

Thursday, May 19, 2011